This week the City Council will hold a special meeting on the renewal of Comcast Cable’s franchise agreement with Jersey City. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. in City Hall, 280 Grove St.

The Port Authority has announced that there will be no weekend PATH service on the Journal Square-33rd Street route this weekend and next so that work crews can expedite repair work being done to the damaged Hoboken Station.

This means the only PATH service into New York will be on the Newark-World Trade Center line.

“Seeking to return PATH rail service to Hoboken as quickly as possible, the Port Authority will run weekend service only on the Newark Penn Station-World Trade Center line for the next two weekends, allowing crews to proceed unimpeded with post-Hurricane Sandy repair time,” The Port Authority said in a press statement. “While the Port Authority crews already are working 24/7 to make expedited return of at least partial PATH service a top priority where safely possible during the week and weekends, repair time proceeds significantly faster when power to third-rails can be turned off and trains are not running in construction zones. Each weekend of suspended service will provide PATH crews with 48 hours or more of uninterrupted work time, which in turn will shave as much as five or more days off of the recovery schedule.”

Weekday service on the Journal Square-33 Street line will resume at 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 10 and will operate each day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. There will be no weekend service again on this route on Saturday, Dec. 15 and Sunday, Dec. 16.

The services changes are sure to be a commuting nightmare for thousands of Hudson County residents who work weekends or who had planned to travel to Manhattan for holiday shopping. Angry riders, very many of whom live in Jersey City, say that PATH’s current schedule – which shuts down at 10 p.m. each night – has already posed a tremendous hardship.

At press time Jersey City Peace Movement was planning a protest for Friday, Dec. 7 to demand that the Port Authority operate shuttle bus service from Journal Square to midtown Manhattan during the hours the PATH trains are not running.

Baby killed by fallen TV

According to a report on NJ.com, a 13-month old infant was killed when a television stand in her family’s home turned over on Friday, Nov. 30. The baby died after the television on top of the stand fell on top of her.

Police responded to the home at 5 a.m. but found the girl unresponsive. She was brought to Jersey City Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Help homeless pets for the holidays

On Sunday, Dec. 9 Liberty Humane Society will host pet photos with Santa Claus from noon to 4 p.m. Guests are invited to come to the shelter with their pet and take a holiday photo with the jolly man himself! For a donation of $10, they will receive a beautiful glossy photo to commemorate the holiday season.

In addition, Liberty Humane has launched the "Ornaments of Hope" campaign in which supporters are invited to make a $5 donation towards the creation of a handmade photo ornament of their pet or of a Liberty Humane animal that will be hung on the shelter Christmas tree. Ornaments can be purchased at the shelter or in just a few quick clicks on the Liberty Humane website. Once you have placed your order, send a picture to Allison@libertyhumane.org so that the Liberty staff can create your custom ornament.

On Dec. 22, donors are invited to take their ornament home so that your Liberty Humane memento will be hanging on your own tree for Santa to see.

Give blood at Jersey City Medical Center

On Tuesday, Dec. 18 from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Jersey City Medical Center will sponsor a day-long blood drive outside the hospital’s main entrance at 355 Grand St.

Donors should bring photo identification with a signature and be in good health. It is recommended that donors eat before donating blood.

All blood donations will include a free cholesterol screening and donors will receive a complimentary ShopRite gift card.

For more information, contact Donna McMackin at (973) 803-7472 or e-mail her at Dmcmackin@bloodnj.org.

Broadway at the Beacon

Four of the theater world’s finest performers – Bret Shuford, Tari Kelly, T. Oliver Reid, and Catherine Walker – will star in “Broadway at the Beacon” on Monday, Dec. 10 to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Hoboken. There will be two performances at 7 and 9 p.m.

Tickets are $65 and includes wine and hors d’oeuvres.

One hundred percent of ticket proceeds will go towards restoring the Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County’s Hoboken facility, which is facing an estimated $250,000 in repairs following Hurricane Sandy. The Hoboken club serves hundreds of local youth every year with programs in the arts, education, physical fitness, computer technology and most recently, a photography initiative.

The performances will take place in the Beacon’s Great Room. The Beacon is located at 4 Beacon Way (at Montgomery Street).

To purchase tickets, visit www.broadwaybeaconjc.eventbrite.com.

Hoboken for Chanukah

On Sunday, Dec. 9, Chabad of Hoboken will sponsoring their 11th annual Menorah lighting at Hoboken City Hall, 94 Washington St., recognizing local and state officials for their efforts and leadership during Hurricane Sandy. The Menorah lighting will take place at 5:30 p.m.

There will be hot latkes, donuts, chocolate gelt, funky dreidels, dancing, and more. Honored guests will include Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), other local mayors, and members of the Hoboken City Council.

Prior to the Menorah lighting, there will be a children's program at 4 p.m. inside City Hall and will feature the Yeladudes Theater, which will perform the story of the “Three Challot.” and arts and crafts.

Tickets for the show are $10 at the door.

Chanukah at City Hall is co-sponsored by Hoboken University Medical Center, ShopRite of Hoboken, and ESS Home Theater.

Last week Healy announced that current City Council President Peter Brennan and current Ward F Democratic Committeeman Omar Perez will run for two of three at-large council seats on his ticket next year. The Healy campaign also announced that former Assemblyman and Jersey City Schools Superintendent Charles T. Epps will run on his slate for the Ward A City Council seat.

“In putting together my re-election team, I’m looking for those who share my same motivation for both running for office and for governing – namely, always doing what’s best for the families, taxpayers and small businesses of Jersey City,” said Healy in a statement released last week.

Earlier this year the Healy campaign announced that community activist Dan Levin will run on the ticket for Ward E.